David Harris yesterday was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie Player of the Month – quite an honor for a rookie who was thrust into a starting role without notice five games ago after Jonathan Vilma was lost for the season with a knee injury.

But Victor Hobson, the Jets linebacker who plays alongside Harris, had a better idea.

“They should have just gone ahead and named him the regular Defensive Player of the Month instead of putting the rookie tag in front it,” Hobson said. “He’s played that well.”

Harris, who took over for Vilma as the starting middle linebacker, has 58 tackles in his five starts, an average of more than 11 per game.

He leads the Jets in tackles with 82, despite starting five of the team’s 12 games. He also has three sacks, a forced fumble and a recovery.

Based on the bold numbers he has posted in such a small amount of playing time, it’s become clear Harris is the Jets future middle linebacker.

Harris’ numbers dwarf those of Vilma, his veteran predecessor.

Vilma, in seven starts, had 39 tackles, nearly 20 fewer than Harris has had in two fewer starts.

“I joke with him all the time; I call him the ‘Real Deal,’ ” Jets safety Kerry Rhodes said. “He stepped in and we knew he was a good player, but didn’t know what to expect right away.

“He stepped in right away, took over that role and played it pretty well. He’s helped us out a lot.”

Eric Mangini spoke about how Harris, who has to bark out the defensive calls, has worked on the bass in his voice and being more authoritative.

Being more outspoken has been somewhat of a challenge for him because he’s one of the quietest players on the team.

“In my experience, he’s been a little bit soft-spoken, but – what is it, ‘speak softly and carry a big stick?’ That’s kind of how it’s been,” Mangini said.

“He’s becoming more vocal,” Rhodes said. “He has to be that way; he’s the defense middle linebacker now and making the calls in the huddle.”

Rhodes said jokingly that when Harris first started and was making calls “we were like, ‘What? Say that again.’ ”

“Now, he’s getting comfortable with what he’s doing and the defense is playing better,” Rhodes said. “You can definitely hear the confidence in his voice now when he makes the calls.”

Matt Chatham, a veteran linebacker, said he’s been most impressed with Harris’ “grasp of the scheme,” which he said, is unusual for rookies.

“Usually, the younger guys are looking to the older guys to figure out what’s going on,” Chatham said. “One of the things I’ve been most impressed with (Harris) is how on top of his stuff he is for a young guy, which is something that gives you an extra quick step on every play that you’re trying to make.

“A lot of times, guys rely more on athletic ability in that first year where this guy (Harris) is making plays with anticipation, which you don’t see from a rookie very often.”